PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen found themselves with a shorthanded roster Tuesday after several players and head coach Jean-Guy Trudel were suspended by the SPHL for incidents in a game last weekend.
So they helped fill that void with a retired star.
Two-time SPHL Defenseman of the Year Zach Wilkie, who retired last spring, agreed to sign a five-game tryout contract with the Rivermen and will play this weekend in a series against Quad City.
Wilkie lives in Peoria and works now for a local software company. He’s also coaching bantam minors for the Peoria Youth Hockey Association.
“It’s one of those things where I did talk about it with (Rivermen head coach) Jean-Guy Trudel about maybe getting some home games,” said Wilkie, 28. “My last game before I retired was in the playoffs on the road. I’d like to maybe retire on home ice in front of our fans.
“And right now, with the suspensions the team has to deal with, I have a chance to help the team out. I’d like the chance to get in there behind the scenes, too, and maybe work with some of the newer, younger guys on what Rivermen hockey is all about.”
The Villa Park native had one of the most decorated careers in the 44-year history of the Peoria franchise.
He wore an “A” for the SPHL’s elite team and piled up accolades during a four-year run with Peoria that included 203 regular-season games, 39 goals, 128 assists, 167 points and a +135 total rating.
He notched 8 game-winners and was the key piece in the league’s top-rated power play unit during his era.
He appeared in an additional 20 playoff games, with 3 goals and 8 assists and another game-winner.
Wilkie was at the heart of two Rivermen championships in the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons.
He was twice named SPHL Defensive Player of the Year, in 2022-23 and 2024-25.
He notched a four-goal game in the 2024-25 season that was the most goals scored by a defenseman in a single game in league history, and in Peoria’s 43-year franchise history.
His trophy case also includes:
- Named All-SPHL First Team in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- His 43 assists in 2024-25 were the fourth-most by a defenseman in a single season in SPHL history.
- Scored four goals in a single game in 2024-25, the most by a defenseman in SPHL history and in the 43-year history of the Rivermen franchise.
- His 56 points in 2024-25 were the fourth-most points in a single season by a defenseman in SPHL history.
- His +42 rating in the 2022-23 season was the second-highest by any player in the history of the SPHL.
- Named to the Rivermen Captain’s Booster Club Pete BardezBanian Award as the fans’ Most Popular Player in 2022 and 2023.
- Named to the Bruce Saurs Leadership Award in 2025.
- He was part of two Rivermen teams that won the William B. Coffey Trophy as regular-season league champions.
- The Rivermen host Quad City on Friday at Carver Arena, then play a rematch in Moline on Saturday.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: He’s back: Why Rivermen star left retirement to help Peoria in the SPHL
